1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a musical adaptor for use with baby nursing and feeding bottles. More particularly, the invention relates to a musical adaptor unit which may be removably attached to the bottom of a baby nursing bottle whereby when the baby tips the bottle an electronic musical device inside the adaptor produces a musical tune which can soothe and amuse the baby during the feeding process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Baby bottles have been in use in the liquid feeding of infant children for many years. Over the years, baby bottles have been provided in many shapes, forms and configurations. Infant children are frequently temperamental during the normal bottle feeding process and during attempts to have them fall asleep by providing a nursing bottle for suckling in their crib environment. Pleasant music can often divert a temperamental child's attention from the feeding process and can often help to induce the infant into sleep.
Early attempts to combine a musical unit with a baby bottle comprised spring wound musical devices affixed to the bottom of such bottles. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,093 S. G. Allen disclosed a musical bottom section for attachment to an open ended baby bottle with such section encapsulating: a microchip having musical information, a speaker electrically connected to the microchip, a battery electrically connected to the microchip, and mercury type microswitches electrically connected to the microchip for selectively activating the chip. The musical microchip is activated by each movement of the baby bottle through like movement of the mercury globs within the mercury microswitches. In one alternative form of the invention, Allen provides an on-off toggle switch at the exterior of the musical bottom section so that the user of the device can selectively choose whether to turn the music on or off. The Allen musical unit, for attachment to a baby bottle, is unacceptable in a baby's environment in that it incorporates switches which, although encapsulated in an insulative fill material, contain potentially harmful mercury. Further, the Allen musical unit is relatively heavy and thereby adversely affects the baby's ability to maneuver the bottle during the nursing procedure.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,060 granted to P.K. To there is also disclosed a musical adapter for nursing bottles which incorporates: an electronic microchip having musical tune information, a speaker electrically connected to the microchip, a battery electrically connected to the microchip, and a microswitch (preferably of mercury type) electrically connected to the microchip to selectively activate the chip and the playing of the musical tune information. The musical adaptor of To is comprised of a two part molded plastic structure with an upper cup-like portion which fits over the lower end of a baby bottle and a lower bowl-shaped base portion which contains the electrical components of the musical adaptor and which is threaded onto a lower cylindrical joint end of the upper cup-like portion. Alternatively, the lower base portion of the adaptor may be affixed to the upper cup-like portion by channels in such base portion which twist-lock onto engaging bars of the lower cylindrical joint end of the cup-like portion. The bowl-shaped base portion requires in its bottom wall sound holes for causing sound produced within such portion to be transmitted out of the adaptor--such holes providing access of harmful dirt particles and liquids to the electrical components of the adaptor. Further, in the principal embodiments of the To adaptor, the device is subject to the activation of the electrical circuit and playing of the musical information upon any motion of the device whether it is in place associated with a baby bottle or disassociated from a bottle. In one embodiment of the To adaptor, a secondary switch is provided which activates the circuitry when the adaptor is associated with the bottom of a baby bottle but such switch does not preclude its activation, and that of the musical circuitry of the device, by other means when the adaptor is not in place on the bottom of a baby bottle.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a unique electronic musical adaptor for use with a baby nursing bottle, which adaptor is readily detachable from the bottle, and which, when the bottle is tipped from its vertical orientation for suckling by a baby, produces a musical tune to soothe and amuse the infant.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an electronic musical adaptor of light-weight construction which can be easily placed on and removed from the bottom of a baby bottle thereby to avoid being washed with the bottle.
It is another object of the invention to provide a musical adaptor of cup-shaped configuration which can be easily placed on and removed from the bottom of a baby bottle and which includes an exchangeable, relatively thin, wafer-like sealed container for housing electronic melody producing means whereby when the bottle is tipped from its vertical orientation, for suckling by a baby, there is produced one or more musical tunes.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following summary and descriptions of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawing figures.